Pokémon (TV series)
Pocket Monsters (better known as "Pokémon") is a Japanese animated series that currently has 15 seasons with over 700 episodes, 15 films, and a spin-off series. Though the anime is ultimately based upon the games and draws heavily from them, many concepts which are only touched on the games are spun in a unique way, and expanded on. The anime is now broadcasted in 74 different countries, many times being dubbed into other languages for different locales. In Japan, Pocket Monsters has been broadcast under its original title and under three subtitled titles, with the subtitled versions denoting a change in the setting matching the different versions of the video games, rather than being divided into distinct seasons. Plot Ash Ketchum has just become a Pokémon trainer in the Kanto Region. Ash picked Pikachu because, after breaking his alarm clock, he was late for his appointment and all the conventional starter Pokémon (Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle) were gone. Ash accidentally destroys a bike belonging to a girl named Misty, who starts to follow him to get her bike back, but soon becomes a close friend. Misty endeavors to be a great water Pokémon trainer. Shortly thereafter, Ash battles Brock, the leader of the Pewter City gym. Ash initially loses to Brock's Onix, but wins the Boulder Badge in a rematch. Brock then turns over gym leader duties to his estranged father and accompanies Ash and Misty on their journey. Ash's Kanto journey culminates with him collecting the necessary eight badges to compete in the Indigo League Pokémon Tournament held annually on the Indigo Plateau in Viridian City. He ultimately loses in the quarter-finals to Richie, a new rival who happens to use many of the same Pokémon as Ash, including a Pikachu named "Sparky". After the Indigo League, Ash returns briefly to Pallet Town before setting out on a new journey to the Orange Islands where he will compete in the Orange League. Brock eventually parts company with Ash and Misty to pursue Pokémon research with Professor Ivy. At this point a new character, Tracey Sketchit joins Ash. Ash collects four badges and competes against the Orange League champion, Drake, a very experienced trainer. The battle comes down to Pikachu versus Drake's Dragonite with Pikachu delivering a devastating Thunder attack to score the knockout blow. Victorious in the Orange League, Ash again returns to Pallet Town where he and Misty are reunited with Brock who leaves Professor Ivy for an unknown reason. Tracey decides to stay in Pallet Town to work with his idol, Professor Oak as Ash, Brock and Misty head west to the distant land of Johto. Ash is defeated by a Pokémon trainer from the southern land of Hoenn region and decides to journey there next after a brief visit home. Before arriving in Pallet Town, Misty receives a message from her sisters requesting that she return to Cerulean City to take over gym leader duties. Brock then decides that he has been away from home too long and must return to help his father take care of his many brothers and sisters. In Pallet Town, Ash receives a more modern-looking outfit from his mother and sets out for the Hoenn region with only Pikachu, choosing to leave his other Pokémon with Professor Oak. In Hoenn, Ash meets May and her younger brother Max, who join in his journey. May is excited by the Pokémon Contests that take place in Kanto and Hoenn, while Max joins the group to gain experience so that one day he will have his own Pokémon and become a Gym Leader like his father Norman, the Gym Leader of Petalburg City. Having solved his family issues, Brock returns to accompany Ash. Misty visits the group and takes Ash, Brock, May and Max to the Togepi Kingdom. After Ash completes the Hoenn League, he returns home to Pallet Town, as do May and Max return to Petalburg City, and Brock returns to Pewter City. Ash meets up with Misty, Tracey, Professor Oak and his mother at his homecoming celebration. Professor Birch and Max arrive in Pallet Town that same evening, and May and Brock arrive the next day. Ash and May learn of the Battle Frontier and the new contests in Kanto region and decide to travel together to compete. Brock, Max and Misty decide to join them on their new journey, however, Misty leaves the group again to return to looking after the gym. After Ash becomes champion of the Kanto Battle Frontier, May, Drew, Solidad, and Harley travel to the Johto region to participate in the Grand Festival held there. Max returns to Petalburg City to get ready for his own Pokémon journey and Brock returns to Pewter City, once again. Ash learns of a new region called Sinnoh, where he embarks on a new journey. Ash planned to bring only Pikachu, but Aipom snuck on the boat. Brock comes back a few days later in Sinnoh and they both meet Dawn, a new trainer who hopes to become a great Pokémon Coordinator, like her mother. Ash is briefly rejoined by May during a visit to the Sinnoh region, where she decides to enter the Wallace Cup. After Ash completes the Sinnoh League, he returns home to Pallet Town, as Dawn returns to Twinleaf Town. Dawn decides to go on her new adventure in Hoenn, knowing that it was the region that Contests originated from and she was eager to hit the Contest trail again. Brock has returned to Pewter City in order to study to become a Pokémon Doctor. Ash learns of a new region called Unova, where he and his Pikachu travel with a girl by the name of Iris and Cilan, the Striaton City Gym Leader. Ash is briefly rejoined by Dawn during a visit to the Unova region, where she decides to enter the Pokémon World Tournament Junior Cup. Japanese series and American seasons The four Japanese series: Pocket Monsters: The Original Pocket Monsters: Advanced Generation Pocket Monsters: Diamond & Pearl Pocket Monsters: Best Wishes The fifteen American seasons: Pokémon: Indigo League Pokémon: Adventures On The Orange Islands Pokémon: The Johto Journeys Pokémon: Johto League Champions Pokémon: Master Quest Pokémon: Advanced Pokémon: Advanced Challenge Pokémon: Advanced Battle Pokémon: Battle Frontier Pokémon: Diamond And Pearl Pokémon: DP Battle Dimension Pokémon: DP Galactic Battles Pokémon: DP Sinnoh League Victors Pokémon: Black & White Pokémon: BW Rival Destinies Comparisons between international dubs In the European French dub, most of the characters' names are completely localized into the French language, except for Pikachu and a few others. The Canadian French version is the European French dub with a modified twist: all of the characters' names are redubbed to match the ones used in the English version. The European Spanish dub retains most of the characters' names, except for a few Gym Leaders, Frontier Brains, and game characters. The Latin American Spanish dub retains all of the characters' names used in the English version. In the German dub, some of the human characters are renamed and others retain their English names, while most of the Pokémon species' names are completely localized into the German language, except for Pikachu and a few others. The Russian translation of the anime is based on the English dub and retains all of the English character names to match the Pokémon trading card game's cards, but some locations in the show have slightly different names. However, some episodes are based on the Polish version instead of the English dub. In the European Portuguese dub, the opening songs are translated versions of the themes used in the English dub except for two: Pokémon World where the previous theme was used and Diamond and Pearl theme which was aired in English. In addition to that, many main characters in the series have switched voice actors several times. The Brazilian Portuguese dub is based on the English dub and all of the opening themes are translated versions of those ones. In the Norwegian translation of the anime, most episodes of the series are the American broadcast version with an added dub track and a list of key dub voice actors shown after the English credit roll. In the Danish translation of the anime, some rather unusual edits in airing the seasons of the show took place: Who's That Pokémon? was omitted in some airings of the first two seasons but appeared on the VHS releases, only the last 16 episodes of the Johto saga were on Danish television, and skipping directly from Pokémon: Advanced Battle to Pokémon: Diamond and Pearl, Pokémon: Battle Frontier was not aired until after Pokémon: Diamond and Pearl. Trivia The companies that produce the Japanese, English, Italian, Chinese, and Korean versions of the Pokémon anime create their own original opening theme songs, while all the other international dubs use translated versions of the English opening theme songs. Italy is one of the few Western European countries that does not have original names for any Pokémon. In the original version of the series, the characters say mild swear words when they are really really angry, while the producers of the English version of the show change the script by inserting some kid-friendly American pop humor into it. The Japanese credits list each voice actor as well as the character he or she portrays, while the American credits just list the actors without telling who did which voice. The reason for the change in the show's name in America is because the Japanese title closely resembles another series, Monster In My Pocket. Category:TV Shows Category:Pokemon